Numb, Without a Soul
by Trayne
Summary: Your eyes don't deceive you. We finally find out what happened to Kouji, and our lone wolf comes facetoface with the reluctant but possessed Komoku.
1. Prologue: In the Beginning

Disclaimer: Digimon is property of Toei and blah blah blah...  
  
In the beginning, before the Digital World, there was only a storm of nothingness. This emptiness clotted into the form of a serpent, Ophionmon, sightless for there was naught to see. He slithered among the vast rubble of space, and in his wake the nothingness transformed into Chaos. Unaware of this, Ophionmon continued his blind search, searching for something which was not there. The rage of his blind search moved invisibly like a wind. The searing winds blew so hotly that in the infinite darkness, there was a light, and the icy cold depths were set aflame.  
  
A startled light rose from the wastes of Chaos, and from this flame was born Eurynomon, the all-mother, the moon-goddess. She danced across the edge of nothingness, the path of her dancing becoming the margins of the sea and the sky. Finding what he was looking for, Ophionmon pursued her, his coils becoming the West, North, South, and East Winds. Enclosed by these coils, Eurynomon transformed herself into a white bird and flew away. She nestled in the sky and laid a clutch of silver eggs... which were the sun, the stars, and the orb which became the Digital World.  
  
This lush planet was cultivated of earth, from which sprang the trees and water which would sustain the life forms inhabiting this new world, the Digimon. Peculiar creatures, the Digimon were hatched from eggs, much like their mother planet had been, and were content and at ease with each other. But soon, as they became more inquisitive of their world, they began to evolve into more powerful beings, and soon the Digital World was plagued with war.  
  
Eurynomon witnessed this, being the loving mother of all, and knew that this disorder was of the will of Ophionmon. Seeking to bring order to her world, and save her precious children, she sought out the serpent. In a fierce battle, she was able to succeed in separating his soul from his body at the cost of her own power. Though her body was destroyed and her strength near exhausted, Eurynomon divided her spirit into the three moons of the Digital World. Awaiting the time when her power would regain and she could defeat Ophionmon once and for all.  
  
Despite Eurynomon's efforts, chaos still reigned in the Digital World. Lucemon, a Fallen Angel Digimon, sought to bring peace, but soon was corrupted into letting chaos become the true nature of the world. Eurynomon, watching from above, recognized the violent beliefs of Ophionmon immediately, and helplessly watched her little ones slaughter each other....  
  
Then, ten warriors appeared, the incarnations of the elements that created and formed the basis of all life.  
  
Darkness, which had cloaked the nothingness.  
  
Light, born of the nothingness.  
  
Fire, the spark that began life.  
  
Wind, which blew the breath into the beginning of life.  
  
Thunder, which had raged in the nothingness.  
  
Ice, the chill that was felt in the nothingness.  
  
Earth, which upheld life.  
  
Water, the liquid that held and sustained life.  
  
Wood, the purifier of life.  
  
Metal, born of the world itself.  
  
Manifested in the forms of ten powerful Digimon, they overpowered and defeated Lucemon, who was condemned to imprisonment within the core of the Digital World, and thus were dubbed the Legendary Warriors.  
  
Eurynomon was overjoyed with the accomplishment of the Legendary Warriors, but soon grew concerned. With no form of order, chaos was sure to erupt again. With the last of her strength, she sent an angel from each of the moons, with whom she trusted to govern the order of the Digital World; Seraphimon, Opanimon, and Cherubimon.  
  
It was not long when Cherubimon, lord of the beast Digimon and the only one of the three angels to possess beast rather than human qualities, began to let his thoughts betray him. He began to think that the beast Digimon were discriminated against compared to the revered human Digimon. He also believed that chaos was the true form of the Digital World. He was corrupted by evil, and convinced the beast Digimon to revolt against the human Digimon. Thinking Seraphimon was the one plotting against him, Cherubimon separated and imprisoned his soul and body, and held Ophanimon captive in a cage of light.  
  
The utter destruction of the Digital World seemed inevitable.  
  
Refusing to stand by and let her world be demolished, Ophanimon desparately called out to the world that existed parallel to her own. The planet, Earth, the home of the very species whose essence made up the Digimon that Cherubimon loathed.  
  
She called out to the humans. Seeking the purest hearts, she called to the children of Tokyo, Japan. Many crossed over into the alien world, but only five children, whse hearts were strong and pure, were chosen to become the ones to wield the spirits of five of the Legendary Warriors.  
  
Passionate and earnest Kanbara Takuya, Warrior of Fire.  
  
Strong and silent Minamoto Kouji, Warrior of Light.  
  
Powerful and dependable Shibayama Junpei, Warrior of Thunder.  
  
Lithe and loving Orimoto Izumi, Warrior of Wind.  
  
Light-hearted and innocent Himi Tomoki, Warrior of Ice.  
  
Chosen to defend and save the Digital World, these five brave souls had more than their share of hardships. Cherubimon was not one to be intimidated, and he possessed the spirits of the other half of the Legendary Warriors. He created new Digimon to possess the spirits of Water, Wood, Earth and Metal. But for the most powerful spirit he held, he chose a lost soul which had wandered into his world, who happened to be the elder twin of the Warrior of Light.  
  
Kimura Kouichi became the Warrior of Darkness.  
  
Through many trials that tested the strength of their courage and friendship, the five warriors chosen by Ophanimon succeeded in freeing Kouichi and releasing the true spirits of Darkness, and ultimately purified the deceived soul of Cherubimon.  
  
But they knew their battle wasn't over yet, as they soon had to face the threat of the Royal Knights, once valiant heroes of the Digital World, who were now servants of Lucemon. Despite the warriors attempts at stopping their mad quest, Crusadermon and Dynastmon succeeded in draining all of the data of the Digital World, the vast amount of information enough to release Lucemon from his prison.  
  
Lucemon easily overpowered the warriors, though at the sacrifice of the Warrior of Darkness, Fire and Light were able to combine their powers and form a new warrior powerful enough to defeat the Fallen Angel. However, they had only succeeded in destroying his physical form.  
  
A small amount of the monstrous power of chaos was held in Lucemon, and when his body was destroyed that power formed into an egg from which sprouted a dragon. This dragon was able to cross into the realm of the humans, in an attempt to control their world.  
  
The warriors triumphed in the end, combining their hearts and destroying the dragon and its heart, restoring the Digital World and returning to their own. With a new found faith in themselves and each other, they continued on with a new outlook on life.  
  
But...  
  
Just as the human world revolves around a cycle of war, peace and revolution, such does the Digital World follow a certain rule. Balanced on a scale, teetering between tranquility and chaos. But a single grain of rice can tip that scale.  
  
Chaos is a sea, where the slightest disturbance can ripple the surface. Something has caused the rage of Chaos to well up again. This time, rather then let another drive the world into ruin, a new force has risen to stop this catastrophe, by any means necessary.  
  
Stirred from a deep rest, a quiet seething rage barely contained...  
  
A force that is neither loved nor hated. A force that does not love nor hate. It simply is, existing only to keep the balance.  
  
The warriors must be summoned again, to battle the manifestation of nothingness.  
  
And this time, the survival of both the Digital World and Earth may not be guaranteed...  
  
For it began with Chaos, and will end with Chaos. Only Fate will determine how soon this will happen.... 


	2. Chapter 1: A Silent Cry

Welcome all to yet another torturous adventure. I intended for Spirit, Sleeping Somewhere Cold to focus around drama, but with Shimamon that just changed. There ended up being a lot more humor than I thought there should have been, and while I love working on that story, I need something with more edge, so hence this tale.

I couldn't exactly explain it in the summary, so I'd like to verify the issues of love in this story. There aren't any defined couples until the end, and even then it's only one. I'm not sure what I'll do for the rest, but you, the readers, may help me decide on that. But the main theme of this story isn't love, so like most of my other works (excluding MHIDIW) this won't contain fluff or anything remotely romantic until way later. Even so it's gonna be heart-wrenching love (maybe, I dunno yet.). There may be some situations where it seems shonen ai or shojo ai is hinted at, but that's not the quite case. You may think of it however you want, but it's really just strong feelings of friendship and mutual love. No full blown yaoi or yuri here.

But hey, if you've seen my other works, then you know this will be a worthy read. So let's get this started...

Disclaimer: Digimon isn't mine. 'Nuff said.

* * *

Numb, Without A Soul

Chapter 1: A Silent Cry

The day was light but dreary. Dusky clouds overhead refused to let the warm rays of the sun nourish the despondent earth. A chill blew throughout the city, the pale darkness foretelling of a storm, the burning but purifying light hidden behind a veil of gray.

It was shrouded for now, but even when it shone again it would forever be just out of reach. No matter how much you wanted it, how much you needed it, it was always just beyond grasp, for all to see and never touch.

_The cherished, indomitable light. It's so precious, and everyone loves it, since it's always there. If everything has life, from men, beasts and trees to buildings and stones, does that mean that light has life, too? What does it need? What does it want?_

Midnight blue narrowed in contempt.

_But... Like the flip of a switch, it's only summoned when needed. Otherwise it's just left alone in a cloak of nothingness, left with only it's thoughts, desires... loneliness..._

* * *

Pulsating beats rang throughout an empty space. To all, she was silent, and only she heard the throbbing of the heavy metal blaring in her headphones.

_That's right, just walk on by. Nevermind the chick on the bench. Just some kid trying to separate herself from society._

Barely lifting her eyes, she saw a little boy that had taken an interest in her, and his mother who quickly ushered him away from her. She smirked mirthlessly and dropped her head again.

_Good job, moms and dads. Keep the little ones away. I'm a bad, bad girl. I'll pollute their fragile minds._

Most probably wouldn't have guessed she was girl. As short as her hair was, it still covered her eyes with her head down. In her hunched over position, with her elbows propped on her knees and folded hands on her forehead, she was far from lady-like. Her baggy pants were the opposite of the hip-hugging pants and shorts or skirts that were all the rave now with most girls her age.

That was how she wanted it. She wasn't like all the other girls, at least not like the ones she saw everyday. She was far different from the squealing school girls who only stressed over homework or cute guys or whatever.

What did she care? She was just here, and nothing more. Now that she thought about it, she didn't even know why she had chosen to leave her room in the first place. There was hardly any difference between where she was now and there, except that here she was in the open. She was having to deal with people constantly looking at her. Whether it was a casual glance or a prolonged stare, she knew that at every moment someone was looking her way.

She frowned at the concrete ground beneath her. Her paranoia was starting to bubble up again. She instantly began to push it away with the same thoughts she always repeated to herself, to keep from completely breaking down.

_I shouldn't care about them. I don't care about them. People are stupid. Why should I care what a stranger thinks? It's not like they know what runs through my twisted mind. Their opinions about me aren't important. After all, they don't know me. Hell, I don't even know myself. There's nothing to me anymore. Nobody is calling, nobody is answering. I just want to fly out from this boring world,_ she added, her last thoughts matching the barely intelligible lyrics through her head.

With a deep sigh, she conquered her anxiety for the day. Then she fell silent. With the music as loud as it was, she couldn't even hear her own heartbeat. Something clicked in the back of her mind, and an often thought of phrase passed through it.

_I just don't care anymore._

With that last thought she shut down, not feeling, not thinking. Even the song began to grow faint; as loud as it was, she couldn't hear it anymore. It wasn't music anymore, just some noise to disturb the silence in her head.

She never noticed the business man that came rushing towards her, making haste to whatever his job may be, and he never noticed the girl that had vanished once he passed her.

* * *

He tried for a good ten minutes or so to think of one good reason why he should be so depressed.

_I have a family now. I have real friends. I've learned to trust and believe in others... Maybe that's it. I've cared so much for others that I don't think much of myself anymore._

How much of that was true, he wasn't sure. Somehow, he felt he had done more for them than he had himself. Even though it felt nice to know you changed someone's life for the better, he just felt that he hadn't quite received anything from that journey.

Who was he kidding? He was somewhat closer to his father than he had been in a long time, and he had finally come to accept his wife as part of his family. He finally found his mother, whom he thought was gone forever, and had even discovered a brother. So why did he feel that his life was so empty? So meaningless? So... normal?

He was still so young, so had his destiny really been found? Was his quest in the Digital World now to only remain a memory?

_The Warrior of Light. Who would've thought?_

No one would now. Wolfmon and all of his forms had been the Warrior of Light. He was just the mere boy who had been the vessel for their power. More so since they had separated.

_I wonder if the others feel this way? Probably not. I was always the one who thought of things like this the most. And why would they bother worrying about it now? Everyone's happy with their new lives... I should be too. So why?_

He leaned his head back against the frame of the shoji screen, looking for answers in the bleak sky.

_Why does this trouble me so? Why do I feellike something's not... finished?_

* * *

Slowly, she began to open her eyes... When had she closed them? Had she fallen asleep, perhaps...?

No.

She couldn't hear that song anymore, and she couldn't feel her headphones... or anything for that matter.

Her eyes snapped open in alarm, but they opened to...nothing. That was the best way she could describe it. Everything around her was gray. All that was in her view was that drab color, and it seemed it had no beginning or end.

_This is different._

With no way of telling if there was a sky above or ground below, she had no idea how she was able to keep herself steady. She wasn't quite standing nor floating, but somehow managed to keep from toppling over.

_This is definitely different._

Acting on her instincts to fully survey her surroundings, she looked down.

_Baka. It's not you'll find some..._

She halted herself in mid-thought. Even though everything was a constant gray around her, something just looked different for a moment. She narrowed her eyes, focusing, and...

She was right.

It was scarcely noticeable, but the gray beneath her rippled. It was like she was in some kind of freak ocean...

_**You can see it, can you not?**_

Her head snapped up in slight alarm. That voice...! It sounded like her own, but much older. How...?

**_The slightest breeze will cause the waters to ripple. It is true also here, in the Sea of Chaos._**

She could feel her brow crease. Chaos was always defined as disorder, but this place, bland as it was, looked like it was in order.

**_Not for much longer. You can see that. Once Chaos is disturbed, nothing will be able to stop it._**

Now she was annoyed. This was starting to look like some manga. What, had she been summoned to another world to be the disgruntled heroine or some crap like that?

If this was some stupid dream, she wanted to wake up now. Who knows what could happen to someone her age if she was found alone in public?

_**I assure you this is no dream. Chaos has awakened, but it has yet to take form**._

She narrowed her eyes in boredom. Finding herself unable to make any sound, including telling off whoever was bothering her, she only thought disdainfully. Chaos, disturbance, whatever. Like she was some part of it.

_**See for yourself.**_

She rolled her eyes, but looked down again regardless of her lack of interest. The ripples were a little more noticeable now, and...

It was... rippling...

_Ba-bum..._

_Ba-bum..._

_Ba-bum..._

...in resonance with the beating of her heart.

Despite herself, the pulsating in her chest began to quicken, and with it the ripples of the empty sea became to extend into larger rings.

_**I have awakened.**_

Her... no, their heart was like the pound of a thousand drums in her head. The "waters" wavered like they were being struck again and again by some titan raindrop.

_**You will be a worthy puppet...**_

Her mouth opened in a soundless gasp when the "coils" of gray began to rise, reaching up towards her, and in moments had her entire body wrapped tightly in it's ruthless grip.

* * *

Rivers of crimson ran through the villages, lacing the waters, painting the sides of mountains and dripping off the trees. Mutilated bodies lay everywhere; Mostly pieces of what could have been a limb or torso, the heads with either one or both eyes missing or misplaced, peeking out of tears in their necks or lack thereof. Only the inhabitants were slaughtered; the land was only stained red, but otherwise unharmed.

Separate from the mounds of carcasses lay a small group of too familiar figures.

He was met with the dead stares of his fallen comrades.

Completely consumed, she was finally allowed a voice, and her scream shattered the silence, turning inhuman...

A bellow the likes of which he could only describe as some hell-spawn dragon of ancient legends reverberated throughout the massacred village...

... And was still loud in his ears when Minamoto Kouji awoke in a cold sweat.

* * *

Mmm... Not quite my best work but it'll hafta do. I just could not do this chapter, and this is the longest and best I was able to write it (even if it's only five measly pages.). I may go back and add a few things, but we'll see. Things should get easier from here. If not, I just got the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack, so be looking for possibly two new chapters soon for that fic (Y'know, E.R. Check the profile to see.).

Also, if anyone was wondering, the song mentioned was Dead or Alive 2's Exciter. I'm not sure if the lyrics were right, and if anyone knows what they really are please correct me if I'm wrong.

Even though not much has happened, please review anyway.


	3. Chapter 2: A Little Tale, Thou Shall Su...

Thank you all for the reviews! (weeps tears of gratitude) I didn't expect many other people to read this. Since no one's complained, I'll stop whining about the first chapter and let it be. I'll do my best with the rest of the story!

Since Alene asked, yeah, Tori and this new girl are kinda like me. But not totally (they're not self-insertions). Tori's got the quiet, depressed side of me that can be light-hearted at times, and this new chick (sorry, but her name won't be revealed until the next chapter) is the raging, rebellious and somewhat anti-social and paranoid side. Most people shun OCs because they're too perfect or plain, but give them believable characteristics and they're just as lovable as any official character. I think I explained it in my profile, but you can expect OCs to appear in just about all of my fics. (But I think only the two girls in these Digimon fics will have some of my own personal characteristics.)

Disclaimer: I don't claim Digimon! But the new content... Yeah, it's all mine. Mine!

Numb, Without A Soul

Chapter 2: A Little Tale, Thou Shall Suffer

This had to be karmic retribution. He had wanted something to be wrong with the Digital World, wanted Ophanimon to call him and whisk him away from this suddenly average life. And what did he get out of it?

A vision of the deaths of the people closest to him, his best friends and his brother.

Before he was only restless, but now he knew he would never be able to sleep. Every time he would close his eyes, he would see red. A color he once saw as a symbol of strength and passion now only represented death. Black was salvation, a sweet escape into darkness....

"Kouji?"

The younger twin looked up, not aware that he had been drifting off, and met the pair of sapphire identical to his own, only they were filled with concern.

"...I'm fine, Kouichi. Really," Kouji added when his brother didn't look convinced. "I'm just a little tired."

The elder twin sighed, then smiled and moved from sitting by Kouji to settle back down on the floor beside his brother's bed. "You haven't been getting much sleep, have you?"

"So, you can tell." Kouji, laid down on the bed, crossed his arms behind his head.

"...You must think about it, too. Even if you don't want to, thoughts of it keep you up at night, and you can't but wonder what's happened there, if you really had made a difference."

Kouji's eyes widened as stared up at his ceiling. Kouichi was talking about the Digital World. His brother had only willingly talked about it for a few weeks after everyone returned, when they would meet in parks or other public places. Even then he had been reluctant to talk about that world, since it was his experience there that almost killed him. After everyone returned to their normal lives, they began meeting less frequently, until the only person Kouji saw on a regular basis was his brother. The only people they ever worried about keeping happy was their parents, especially their mother, and they only discussed ways to make her life easier and more pleasant.

Now, about two years later, he was speaking of the world where he became the Warrior of Darkness.

"You know, for a long time I just tried to forget about it. I tried to forget that I had been a puppet, that I had become the very force most people dread. I tried to tell myself that all of that was behind me, and that I could live a normal, happy life. But, I can't just forget about it."

_/I can see that clearly./_ Kouji had watched his brother's quiet acceptance of the darkness. He became even quieter than before, ever thoughtful, and he seemed to be aware of everything around him, physical and spiritual. It even showed in the way he dressed. He gradually started to dress in darker colors, and now was wearing a now common attire of a white long-sleeved shirt under a black T-shirt over violet jeans.

"I have no regrets. If I look past all the peril and challenges we faced, I see that I'm grateful for it all. I wouldn't have such good friends, and I probably would have never found a brother."

Kouji noticed that Kouichi, maybe purposely, had not mentioned that he may not have even been alive if it wasn't for the Digital World.

"Because of you all, I am who I am today, and I can't be thankful enough for that. But..."

"... But what?" Kouji gently prodded on.

"Kouji, do you also feel just... not satisfied? Maybe it's because we're teenagers now, but don't you feel that there must be something more? We had an adventure that no one else in ten lifetimes would have, but is that it? Our lives are only just beginning, but do you feel that it's already over? That we have nothing great to look forward to?"

Kouji formed a mirthless smirk. "We must be able to read each other's thoughts."

Not knowing he was imitating his twin, Kouichi also smiled without humor. "Does this mean we can admit our frequent, meaningless bouts of depression?"

Kouji allowed himself a quiet chuckle, then a serious frown settled on his face. "But, no, Kouichi, I don't feel that it's over. At least not anymore."

"Has something happened?" Kouichi questioned, tilting his head up to his brother.

"Aa. I think it's been happening for a few months. I would wake up in the dead of the night, scared out of my mind, without even remembering what had frightened me. But earlier today, I..."

"Kouji? What's wrong?"

Kouji couldn't hear him. At that moment, he was only aware of the sudden voices and the image in his mind.

**_It began in the vast coldness..._**

He saw Tomoki. Surprise was on his young face as he was enveloped from the feet up in a case of ice. As soon as his entire body was frozen, he shattered into infinite specks of diamond-like dust that disappeared in flickers. As quickly as snow melts...

(((())))

The world was usually beautiful, especially in this forest. This place, where verdant foliage allowed prismatic patches of the ever brilliant sunlight to dance on the thickets below, where its habitants would often play in their childish antics...

There was silence.

There were no birds whose trills would compose the melody of the woods, and even the wind refused to ruffle the leaves. Everything stood still, refusing to do anything that would even vaguely agitate what lay inside this natural sanctuary.

Their efforts were in vain; the awakening was inevitable.

The only body in this part of the woods was that of a young human girl, spread out on her back and dead to the world. None acknowledged her, and she was unable to acknowledge anything. In truth, this was a body and nothing more. Open eyes gazed upwards lifelessly at nothing in particular. Lean fingers that still retained some of a light tan color didn't attempt to brush away or even twitch at the small insects that crawled over it.

This body... which would become the vessel for a monstrous power...

The tense tranquillity was broken by the sudden strong pulse of a heartbeat. Long-lashed eyes blinked, then widened in horror as they faded from a blank silver into their normal hue. Her body, starved for oxygen, immediately demanded a heavy gasp. This desperate attempt for oxygen only served to intensify the agony that pulsed through her chest. A torture so great she couldn't even find her voice at first, and only partial weak cries came to her dry throat.

In this forested haven, the only being that now held two lives, was forsaken, concluded as lost, and left to writhe in torment, in this beautiful world.

(((())))

"-ji! Kouji!"

Kouji blinked, shaken and confused. It seemed like he had fallen asleep, but he was wide awake. His brother was once again perched on the bed and at his side, looking down at him with startled deep blue. But a moment ago... Had he not just been with Tomoki....?

Tomoki!

Alarmed, he quickly moved to sit on the edge of his bed, beside Kouichi, and placed a hand on his forehead, his fingers grasping his long, dark bangs.

"What's wrong?" Kouichi had been scared to the depths of his soul. When his brother fell silent, he naturally wanted to see what was wrong. In moments he was at his younger twin's side, and though it lasted for only a second, it looked like Kouji's soul had been separated from his body. His usually bright, if dark-colored, eyes had been blackened, dull, sightless to him and the world.

Kouji was alive, but not well, as he could see. "What happened, Kouji?"

"I-I don't know," Kouji shakily replied. "It was Tomoki. I think I saw... watched him..."

"Kouji!" Seeing him abruptly halt his sentence and drop his head into his hand, Kouichi took hold of both of Kouji's shoulders and turned his brother to him. He was once again lifeless; Kouichi was met with those frighteningly obscured eyes. It was terrifying because it was like staring at himself, dead, but somewhat worse since it was his only brother. "Kouji! Please, say something!"

Words, spoken from an unknown source, came to him.

**_A storm forever raged...._**

Junpei, so easily panicked, had just begun to open his eyes in shock. There was nothing to indicate what had warned him when a silent bolt of lightning struck him, and he was gone. In the blink of an eye....

(((())))

She wouldn't scream. She absolutely refused to show any weakness to whatever it was she was fighting, and to herself.

_/Even though I have no idea why I feel like the demons of hell have their claws wrapped tight around my heart and are trying to rip it out...!/_

She had only been able to get to her hands and knees. One hand clutching her shirt tightly, over her heart, and the other supporting her body, braced against the forest floor. Of course, she was so intent in fighting that she didn't think about how she ended up in a forest in the first place.

Her stomach clenched in another contraction. She was warned once again that she shouldn't struggle when more crimson spurted out of her mouth.

_/Whoever said I wanted this anyway?!/_

She frowned, determined to succeed, as she focused, panting for breath, on the blur of green and splattered red beneath her.

(((())))

Kouichi was only somewhat relieved when Kouji's eyes finally focused on him.

"Kouji, what-"

"It's the others!" Kouji gasped. "But why...?" He looked away from Kouichi, trying to sort out the confusion in his mind.

"Kouji." Kouichi gently shook his brother to bring his attention to him. "You're scaring me. What's happening to you?"

"I..." Kouji swallowed nervously, then started again. "I keep hearing this voice. I don't know what it's explaining, but first it mentioned something about coldness, then I saw Tomoki. Then it said something about a storm, and I saw Junpei..."

"You're not making any sense. What about coldness and storms....?"

Kouichi's words faded out again.

_**A strong wind blew...**_

Izumi soundlessly gasped as a breeze picked up. She was surrounded in a visible wind, then was gone. Swept away...

"... Who did you see this time?" Kouichi asked when Kouji's eyes were on him.

"Izumi. We have to go!" Kouji bolted from his bed and room, his brother on his heels.

"Where are we going?!" Kouichi asked as they rushed down the stairs.

"Something's happened to the others! Takuya needs to know!" Now at the entrance to the Minamoto's apartment, Kouji hastily put on his blue-striped white sneakers, as did Kouichi with his red and black pair, before rushing out with Kouji slightly in the lead.

"But you don't know where Takuya is!" warned Kouichi from close behind.

"I'll find him!"

Kouji was in midstride, his right foot in the air, his navy jacket flapping behind him, when he was struck with the next words.

_**They ignited a flame...**_

Takuya, ever alert, was startled at the sparks at his feet. He was even more alarmed at the fire that erupted around him. His form was discernable for only a moment amidst the blaze, then he disappeared along with the inferno. As quickly as an ember burns out...

(((())))

_/I've done it, I think. For now./_

The pain had deadened a little. She was breathless, laid on the ground, staring up into the canopy, arms outspread at both sides.

_/I worry about it later. I'm beat. This will have to stay with me for the while. I'm... too damn tired right now.../_

With only minimal discomfort, she was able to fall into deep rest, lulled by the painful lullaby of her beating heart.

(((())))

Kouji faltered when his foot hit the ground, but swiftly regained his balance and pushed himself onwards. It didn't go unnoticed.

"It was Takuya, wasn't it?" came Kouichi's inquiry. Kouji didn't faze out this time, but he could tell from the stumble in his step that he must have had another vision. Kouji was seeing so much in what only passed as a few seconds to Kouichi.

"Dammit! Why is this...?!" Kouji's angry expression quickly changed to shock. The next line came.

_**From the indefinite darkness...**_

_/Darkness... No!/_ Kouji halted and spun around.

Kouichi had already stopped. He was stunned, looking down at his hands, watching his fingers vanish from his view as they were enveloped in shadows.

"Kouichi!!" Kouji began to run towards his brother, but the closer he got to him, the deeper the umbra became. He reached out his hand, only to find that it was beginning to glow. Kouichi was gone just as he reached him. Swallowed by the darkness.

_/No..../_ His legs failed him, and Kouji fell to his knees.

They were all gone. He was still there, because he would always be there. No matter how reluctant, he would always shine, because he was...

_**Came light....**_

"NO!!" His cry was aimed towards the heavens, not caring that his body was illuminated around and from within by light, the holy, cursed light. Then Kouji, too, was gone.

_**And thus... I was born.**_

((((((()))))))

Okay. Sick as I am right now, I still aim to please my fans, or whoever likes this. A bit shorter than I wanted it, but I say that about all my chapters. I just wanted to go ahead and introduce the new chick, since I'm sure you all are dying to know who she is. So, um, yeah, go ahead and review. That will make me feel loads better. Cough cough (Oh, and if anyone is confused, yes, I will be using Japanese phrases and terms and such. For some words, check out the ends of some of the chapters in SSSC. I've listed most of the common terms I use. That fic involves the Adventure gang, namely Yamato, if you're interested.)


	4. Chapter 3: The Red Lotus Blooms

(sniffle) Spank you all!! This is starting to become my second most popular fic, beaten only by The Real Cid Highwind. This may not have as many reviews as some of my other fics, but I'm sure this is receiving more reviews more quickly than the other stories. I feel so special...

So, to reward you all, we have.... violence! Thass right, kiddos! Blood n' bones n' guts n' jus' 'bout any other nasty, icky thing I can think of will be in this chapter! And you thought I was demented before! Nya ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! (Uh-oh, Naga cackle! Ph33R m33!) And let's not forget the other content that will either make you squeal in devilish delight or cringe in terror! Nup, this chapter ain't for the faint of heart!

Also, you'll get to make a new friend! The girl will finally be introduced! Doncha just luv me? Can't ya tell I'm under the influence of stress and chocolate?!

Oh, and something I'll start posting at the beginning of each chapter will be the songs that best fit in (since the chapter names aren't songs in this fic). The only song I can think of that best fits this chapter, especially at the end, is Disturbed's Down With the Sickness.

Disclaimer: Oh the things I would've done to those twins if Digimon were mine.... I can always dream...

Numb, Without A Soul

Chapter 3: The Red Lotus Blooms

It all happened so fast.

He had only left them for a minute, retrieving the ball that had been kicked out of bounds, when a tremor went up his spine. He froze. In a matter of seconds, ice had crawled up his legs, then encased his torso, and soon he was trapped in a cold cage.

He remembered suddenly bursting into thousands of pieces. At least, that's how he imagined it must have looked. But he felt no pain, in fact he hadn't even felt cold. He actually felt like he dissolved into thousands of tiny particles before he blacked out....

Black was all that he met now, and it was only because his eyes were shut. He could feel everything around him, and he knew he was in a different place. It wasn't Shinjuku, or even Japan, but he knew this place. This world... was a second home to him... but how....?

"Ah, you are awake."

Himi Tomoki opened his dark green eyes slowly as he sat up, the blurry world around him coming into focus. He rubbed his eyes just as he was able to determine the figure near him.

"....Who are you?" He wondered what had happened to him, but he was more suspicious of who was with him.

The figure confirmed his thoughts that he was in the Digital World again, for he was a Digimon himself. Due to his experiences, Tomoki knew it was wiser to be wary of the more sinister Digimon, which this one kneeling near him looked to be. At first, he had thought he was an Angemon, but his voice had been more hollow than the warm words of the angel Digimon; it was low, almost seductive, but also as impersonal and unforgiving as an ocean.

There were two dark, ragged wings where there would have been six snowy white. The black leather body suit had a silver helmet and decorative Roman crosses that accented it. The scarlet shawl hanging from his studded belt and the ribbon around his left arm looked like they had been stained by the blood of thousands.

Deep crimson hair framed a fair but pale face, and two white fangs revealed themselves when he grinned. "I am Neloangemon. You need not be alarmed, young one. 'Twas I who found you in your... vulnerable state."

"You saved me?" Tomoki added when the ominous Digimon nodded, "What happened?"

"I am not sure. You were unconscious when I found you. You are a human, but you do not seem very distressed by your surroundings. Why is that?"

"I've... been here before," Tomoki said hesitantly. He knew better than to tell this stranger too much, especially that he was a legendary warrior. "I know this place."

"Odd. There have been no humans in the Digital World for over a hundred years. And now this..."

Tomoki took some time to think as Neloangemon trailed off, sounding more like he was talking to himself. He was sure that he wasn't the only human here; there was no reason that only he would be summoned.

_/After all, if Ophanimon needed just one warrior, I know she would have called Kouji or Takuya-oniisan./_ He smiled briefly at the thought that he still thought of Takuya as a big brother. Even so, if he was to be reunited with him, he wouldn't be as helpless and reliant on him like before. Though he was only ten years old, he had matured much over the last two years since their adventure in the Digital World; even his older brother had noticed.

He couldn't wait to show them how much he had grown, if Takuya and the others were here. He had to know.

"Neloangemon," Tomoki said, bringing the Digimon out of a seemingly thoughtful trance, "have you seen any other humans here?"

"Nay." Neloangemon looked slightly surprised when Tomoki suddenly stood, brushing off his yellow shorts. "You depart so soon? Are you well enough to be off?"

"Yeah," Tomoki replied, readjusting his treasured hat on his head, "I'll worry about whatever happened to me later. I feel fine right now, so I should go look for my friends. Ano..." He looked for a moment at Neloangemon, wondering if he should invite him along. Tomoki believed he could take of himself, but if he could avoid it he didn't want to be alone. However, he couldn't bring himself to trust this Digimon, so he decided against it.

"Thanks," he said at length, bowing politely, "for helping me. Well, I've gotta go. Ja." Tomoki raised his hand in a simple wave as he turned and began to depart the small clearing in some woods he noticed he was in.

Most would be able to see the brief flash of infuriating red that surely had blazed in Neloangemon's eyes if it were not for his obscuring helmet. The sudden change in his mood could still be seen in the way his thin lips formed a tight line.

It was against his usual nature, but he had to delay this child as much as he could, no matter what....

Tomoki jumped, startled, when Neloangemon was suddenly standing before him, after he had barely taken three steps.

"Is something wrong?" Tomoki inquired, his voice sounding innocent but his dark eyes sparkling in a fierce determination. He was right to be cautious of Neloangemon, and his hand unconsciously went to his pocket.

/_That's right./_ Tomoki frowned. _/I don't have my D-tector anymore!/_ He began to step backwards as Neloangemon advanced towards him. He let out a small gasp when he was backed against a tree, and the dark Digimon pressed closer.

"I have long wondered, what is it that makes humans far more magnificent than any Digimon?" The Fallen Angel suddenly brought his clawed hand around Tomoki's neck, bringing him up to eye level while holding him against the tree. He smirked, pleased with the frightened yelp that came from the child, and began to bring his face closer to the boy. "Ah, but now I see. Humans, such fragile, beautiful creatures. And the children, so young, so tempting... I wonder, how do they feel? How do they... taste?"

Tomoki watched in growing horror as Neloangemon's lips parted, two gleaming white fangs revealing themselves as that terribly enticing mouth came ever closer to him.

Was it all over now? He had never thought he would ever be in this situation, especially not with a Digimon, but here he was, about to be defiled and possibly killed. In a home far from his home, alone, with no family or friends to help him...

He squeezed his eyes shut just as he felt that searing breath on his face, fearing the worst...

Neloangemon abruptly stopped his lustful pursuit when something caught his attention.

When nothing happened, Tomoki dared to open one eye to find the Digimon with his head slightly turned away. He opened his eyes fully when Neloangemon grinned yet again, and suddenly oblivious to the boy he had just been harassing, released him without a second thought. Tomoki dropped to the ground with a painful grunt, but his discomfort was soon forgotten as his dark eyes fell upon what may have just saved his life.

A figure was just emerging from the surrounding brush, and as it approached Tomoki was surprised to see that it was a human, but not one of his friends and fellow Legendary Warriors. Whoever it was, their bangs covered their face from the head being turned towards the ground. But what caught Tomoki's young eye was the sword, which looked like a small broadsword, carried in their right hand over the shoulder, ominously covered in rivulets of deep, ruby blood.

The stranger stalked towards Neloangemon with surprising calm, and seemed to pay no heed to the Digimon, stopping only when he spoke.

"Ah, what have we here?" Neloangemon looked down at Tomoki, and began to reach down towards him. "This shall only take a moment, then-"

There was a sudden swish, and Tomoki cried in alarm when his face was suddenly covered in a light spray of crimson. Neloangemon withdrew his claw and stood up straight, holding his palm near his face as he inspected the small blade that now impaled his flesh and the blood streaming down the black leather of his gloves.

This was interesting indeed. He had not even noticed that his challenger had possessed a knife, nor had he sensed the approaching weapon. It had been thrown with a speed and dexterity that far surpassed any mere human's natural abilities.

The Fallen Angel allowed himself a smirk as he faced his attacker, who had one hand calmly placed on a hip and the other tapping the sword on their shoulder. He took the blade out of his hand and tossed it aside, and flesh, blood vessels and leather quickly reformed and filled the hole left behind.

"Amusing. You attack without looking at your target. Do you fear what you will see?"

The Warrior of Ice watched, frozen to his spot and forgetting the droplets of blood on his fair face. The aggressor's head lifted, revealing two gray eyes that looked like a stormy sea, though they quickly changed to a bright, dangerous silver.

A voice, low and laced with intense edge, that sounded like a human and some demon speaking in unison, growled, "_Never_."

In an instant, the stranger was on Neloangemon, lunging with the sword suddenly, twirling the blade in one hand and lunging again. The Digimon dodged the first two attacks by merely floating backwards a little ways, but the next attack was unexpected. The assailant twirled the sword around with their body, and now holding the sword with both hands advanced towards the Digimon with looping, under-handed swipes.

Tomoki was in awe as he watched the fight unfold. It was like something out of a Chinese martial arts movie, only a hundred times more deadlier, and far more real. He was amazed at how this person was able to wield the weapon, so he didn't even consider that a person that size shouldn't be able to handle such a weapon with that much grace, speed and power, and with only one hand at times.

Finishing another looping attack, the attacker twirled again, this time spinning the sword above their head. This was the only attack that connected, and Neloangemon grimaced when the blade grazed his cheek, leaving a shallow, crimson line on the pale skin. He jumped away, putting some distance between himself and the assailant as they came to a stop, holding the sword in front of them, feet shoulder-width apart in a tense stance.

_/Such power./_ Neloangemon wiped at the blood dripping down his cheek, licking the thick liquid from a clawed finger thoughtfully. /_But.../_ He noticed upon closer observation that even though the silver eyes were glowing with deadly intent, his attacker was also breathing very heavily, and he could see those eyes flicker in and out of focus as if distracted from some inner conflict. _/Such instability... Could it truly be....?/_ Focusing, he tried to determine what kind of power this human was emanating, and he almost staggered from the forces coming from this being. Rage, despair, and....

His unexpected smirk caused his aggressor's attention to come to him again, and the sword was brought to their side, held with two hands wrapped so tightly around the handle that the lightly tanned knuckles were white.

"You win," Neloangemon said thickly, and with an elegant bow, he melted into the shadows on the ground.

The assailant stayed tense for a moment longer, then seemed to relax somewhat with Neloangemon's departure, but Tomoki finally snapped out his daze when the silver glow faded from those eyes, and the head suddenly dropped. The sword went slack in their hand, and the stranger abruptly fell to one knee, the weapon-free hand resting on their forehead.

Concerned, Tomoki scrambled to his feet. "Hey, mister! Are you alri-" He stopped and paused in his tracks when those eyes reappeared, glaring at him. However, now they were a different color, like chips of blue-green ice, and Tomoki also discovered that this remarkable swordsman was a girl.

It was easy to see how he could have mistaken her to be a guy. She dressed no where near feminine, like Izumi did. Most girls in Japan wore skirts these days, but this girl was obviously a rebel. Her top consisted of a grey, sleeve-less Chinese shirt, complete with a high black collar, lining, and buttons that came all the way down the front. The black pants hung very loosely, they were probably about two sizes too big, and though the large, white hems of the legs were folded up, they still mostly covered what looked to be black boots.

The only accessories to this drab ensemble were the strange white sleeves that were secured by blacks belts at either end, wrapped just below the elbows and extending just over her palms. Then there was the hair, a deep shade of maroon, that was cut to hang just below the top of her ears, save for two longer locks that framed her face, falling to her chin. Her eyes weren't round and caring like Izumi's, but sharp and fierce, and he could only see hostility in them.

Her eyes were turquoise, but hadn't they been grey and then silver only moments ago? Why had they changed? Just who was this girl?

(((())))

/_Damn it, damn it, damn it.../_

_**Why do you continue to resist? You should be honored that you were chosen to harness this power**._

/_Shut the hell up! Did I say I wanted this?/_

**All of your kind desire power. Is that not why you live?**

/_Well, I'm hardly human as it is, so no, I don't give a damn about power!/_

**_...Ah. You are upset that you feel pain. You thought you would never feel anything again, didn't you...?_**

/_Shut up! Just leave me alo-/_

"Hey, mister! Are you alri-"

Her head had immediately snapped at the mention of that word. She was really getting tired of being mistaken for a guy. She was glad that the kid stopped when she glared at him. She really did not want to be touched or helped by anyone. Lowering her head, she closed her eyes as she clutched at her chest through her shirt. Again, it felt like her heart was having the life squeezed out of it, but this time it wasn't only from resisting. Her whole body felt tired from some sort of exertion.

She swallowed, desperately trying to catch her breath, when the weight in her hand grabbed her attention. She rose to her feet a bit shakily, still clutching her shirt, and looked down at what was in her right hand.

_/A sword.../_

**_There was a fight. I am not surprised you do not recall the encounter with that Digimon_.**

_/... I don't know what the hell a Digimon is, but whatever fight there was, I didn't need a sword. I don't like fighting with them./_

She looked at the blood-stained sword with disgust before tossing it aside, the weight of it finally tugging on her and making her arm ache. Her head began to spin, and she held her face in her hands as she tried to make the spell of dizziness and the nausea that came with it go away by taking long, deep breaths.

"Hey, are you okay, miss?" Tomoki couldn't understand why this girl was feeling so horrible. Neloangemon had not attacked her. Maybe it had something to do with the bloodstains on the sword?

_/Ugh, he doesn't have to sound so timid./_ She peered at the boy through her fingers. He was small for someone she guessed was about ten years old. Where did he come from anyway? And why was he so calm when he was in a different world?

"Miss..."

"Don't call me that," she snapped, taking her hands from her face and planting one on her hip, looking to her right though the boy was standing at her left. "I'm hardly lady-like, and I have a name."

"Well, what is it?" Tomoki asked, politely adding, "I'm Himi Tomoki, and you are...?"

"Not that I care who you are," the girl growled, but said anyway, "but the name's Komoku. Wang Komoku."

/_Wang...?/_ The name sounded Chinese, and familiar at that, but Tomoki abandoned that thought as another question came to mind. "Komoku-san, how were you able to defeat Neloangemon?'

"What?" Komoku looked down at Tomoki, interested in what he was saying now that she was feeling a little better, though her heart was still pounding loudly in her ears. "What the hell's a Neloangemon, and why was I fighting it?"

"You don't remember? I was being... I was in danger, and you saved me! You saved my life." Tomoki's voice grew softer. "I don't know how I could ever thank you-"

"Don't bother," Komoku snapped again, looking off to the side as she then murmured, "I'm hardly worth anyone's thanks."

"Why do you say that?" Komoku was starting to remind Tomoki of how Kouji acted when they first met. Usually, if someone did some heroic deed and acted indifferent about, it made them even more of a hero in his eyes, but it was different with those two. Not only did they act like they didn't care, but they also seemed to regret it some way, like it wasn't right for them to be doing something good.

"Che," Komoku spat, her attitude getting worse with each second. She knew she should have been thankful that she had found another human, but right now she just felt like getting away from everything. With the way she was acting, she would rather be alone.

Without another word, she began to walk away from Tomoki. He felt his eyes widen and begin to burn with coming tears, but he shook his head to regain his bearing. He did not want to look weak in front of such a strong person. "Wait up, Komoku-san!"

"Later," Komoku said in a gruff farewell, jamming her hands into her pockets.

"But you don't know where you're going!"

"So?" /_Why am I even bothering with this brat?/_

"I'm coming with you!" Tomoki said, his voice growing louder as he jogged up behind Komoku.

"What for?" Komoku paused then, realizing the kid's intentions. "I get it. You want to protect me. Huh, you've done a fine job of protecting yourself."

Tomoki halted at that last jeer. He dropped his head and balled his fists at his sides, trying his hardest to fight back the tears that were threatening to pour. He wasn't a crybaby anymore. He was young, but he knew he could take care of himself. Still, he didn't like being alone if he could help it, and it hurt him to know that other people still looked at him as a mere child.

"Anyway, you're not crying or scared or anything, so you must know about this world. You can take care of yourself, so long as you don't run into anymore Noodlemon or whatever the hell it was that attacked you."

Komoku's words caused Tomoki to raise his head and look at her back in surprise. She spoke harshly, but her words held a different meaning for him.

_/There goes my good deed of the day./_ With a small growl, Komoku took off again.

"I..." Tomoki hesitated, then went ahead and said exactly what was on his mind, not afraid to mention his fears to this enigma of a girl, "I know I can take care of myself, but still, I don't like being alone! I don't want to be alone! Please, don't leave me here! Don't leave me all alone, Komoku-san!"

The maroon-haired girl paused again, Tomoki's words stirring up a memory from not too long ago. Those same words, spoken by a young, pleading voice. A desperate cry...

"I'm sure you could handle yourself, but you have no idea of the danger that lies so close! Komoku-san, please-"

"Alright, fine! Just shut up, would you?" Komoku sighed heavily, knowing she would regret what she was about to say. "You can follow me if you want, but no whining!"

There was moment of silence, then a wide smile formed on Tomoki's face, and his cheer rang bright and clear in the otherwise foreboding forest. "Alright!"

Komoku growled again. _/Man, I hate kids./_ An image that was humorous in a demented way came to mind of her going back for that sword and lopping off Tomoki's head. But there would be no point in that, and since the kid knew more about this world than she did, he could prove to be useful.

"So, what now?" Tomoki asked happily, walking beside Komoku who had resumed her pace.

"You tell me. I dunno where I'm headed," said Komoku, who then added, "Actually, I at least know there's a stream up ahead. You've still got blood on your face."

"...Oh, yeah." Tomoki wiped at his cheek, trying to remove the tiny remnants of Neloangemon, but only succeeded in smearing the blood on his face and hand.

"Here we are," Komoku announced quietly, as the duo approached the mentioned site.

The stream was a welcome beacon of hope in the gloom of the forest, with the patches of sunlight dancing on the ever-moving surface. Tomoki sighed in relief, then looked over at Komoku who had settled down on the ground, her head resting in her hands and her shoulders heaving heavily.

A small frown creased his brow. "Daijoubu, Komoku-san?" he asked, concerned.

Komoku didn't say anything, but she waved one hand at him, as if to tell him to stop worrying about her and concentrate on himself. Tomoki saw this sign and walked towards the grassy banks of the stream. As he kneeled down in front of the water, he noticed a few patches of dried blood to his side that led up to the stream.

/_Did Neloangemon attack some other Digimon before he found me?/_ Tomoki shook his head, not wanting to think about the Fallen Angel and anyone else he may have harmed, and took off his hat. He placed his small hands into the stream, letting the cool water run around and through his fingers before he cupped his hands and lifted it to his face, vigorously washing the blood off.

Komoku paid no attention to him, the strange condition of her body more on her mind. Just walking a short distance had put some strain on her, and her heart was pounding painfully in her chest and she was out of breath. This had to be from whatever power the demon -at least, she thought it was a demon- said she had been chosen to harness. In any case, she just had to grit her teeth and bear it; surely, she had been put through worse physical pain than this, and it looked like she would have to endure it for some time. At least until she found a way to get of them, the demon and this power.

She took a deep breath, held it in her chest for a while, then released it, regaining some control over breathing. Satisfied, she looked up at Tomoki, who was lying on his back with his face turned towards the sun, probably letting the warm rays dry his face.

Komoku had a few questions, and she figured now would be the best time to ask them. "Yo, kid."

Tomoki sat up and looked over at Komoku. "Yeah?"

Not one to beat around the bush, Komoku cut straight to the point. "Where are we, exactly?"

Tomoki smiled, glad that she was depending on him for information. "We're in the Digital World. You've probably already guessed that I've been here before. This is like a world that's like a mirror to our own. Some things here are a lot like what you would see on Earth, but instead of humans this place is inhabited by creatures called Digimon. They are all kinds of Digimon, and all of them are basically good, but..." Tomoki glanced away, returning his gaze to Komoku when she spoke.

"You were attacked by one that you claim I saved you from," she stated calmly, crossing her arms, "so how can you say that they're good?"

"Because they are!" Tomoki stated firmly. "It's just that sometimes they get corrupted by dark forces and turn evil. Fortunately, there are special Digimon that rise up against the bad Digimon in order to protect this world."

"... So why are you here? If this world has Digimon to fight their own when they are out of order, then what would this world need with a kid like you?"

"I'm not just some kid. Two years ago, the Digital World was facing certain destruction, and six kids from Earth, including me, were called here. I'm more important than you think, and really I should be asking you why you're here."

Komoku was impressed with the spunk this kid had; not many people would dare talk to her that way because of who she was, or used to be, at least. It didn't show, though, and she shot back at Tomoki's remark. "I don't get it myself. The damn thing talks in riddles. There's nothing special about myself, but there is something inside-"

"What is it?" Komoku's eyes had begun to darken as she spoke, but Tomoki was alarmed when she suddenly snapped to attention, her eyes sharp and focusing. "Komo-"

**_Something approaches. You would be wise to move from your current location._**

Listening to the demon in her head for the first time, Komoku sprang to her feet and dashed to Tomoki, who yelped in surprise when she picked him up and held him close to her as she ran off to their left. She sprinted into some bushes and halted, crouching down while keeping Tomoki close to her.

"What's-mmf!" When he began to speak, Komoku silenced Tomoki by firmly placing one hand over his mouth. He looked up at her, seeing that her gaze was intently set outside of their cover to the edge of the forest facing the stream. Cueing in on her serious frown, he stayed quiet, holding on to Komoku tightly as he followed her gaze.

There was a loud rustling in the forest that grew louder in moments, and soon four Digimon emerged from the undergrowth. The surroundings were illuminated in a blue glow from the supernatural flames of a Skullmeramon. At his right was a Musyamon, a Wizard-type Digimon that looked more like a demented samurai with his oversized mutesashi and oni faces all over his armor. Hovering at Skullmeramon's left was a giant praying mantis with razor sharp teeth called a Snimon. What caused small tremors as it walked behind the trio of Digimon was a large, black dinosaur, a DarkTyrannomon.

The Digimon were headed towards the two humans with too much calm. Everything was silent save for their heavy footsteps and the buzzing of the Snimon's wings, for Komoku and Tomoki were holding their breaths, one out of caution and the other out of fear. Then Skullmeramon raised his hand, and blue flames began to gather in it.

The tension-filled stillness was at once broken, and Komoku jumped into action. With Tomoki still in her arms, she sprang up and back from where she had been kneeling, the Fire Digimon's Metal Fireball attack hitting the bushes only seconds later. Not wasting a moment after avoiding the azure blaze that erupted, Komoku bolted in the opposite direction.

With a nod of Skullmeramon's head, Snimon took off after the fleeing girl, being the swiftest of the four Digimon, with the Fire Digimon and Musyamon in close pursuit and DarkTyrannomon lumbering behind them.

Tomoki was frightened by two things. One, obviously, being the Digimon that were chasing Komoku and him. However, it was Komoku herself that was scaring him also. He knew she was strong, but she was running surprisingly fast with him in her arms. Maybe under normal circumstances and a good adrenaline rush she would be able to run quite a distance with him, but since the fight with Neloangemon he had noticed that something was wrong with her. He had watched her get out of breath just from walking to the stream, and now her breathing was highly erratic and heavy and he could hear her heart thumping loudly in her chest. Why was she fine while fighting that Fallen Angel, but tiring from just running? Did she have some sort of illness?

Would they make it through this alive?

"Komoku-san..."

Komoku had been concentrating so hard on running and keeping from passing out that she had almost forgotten about the boy in her arms. When he called her name, she broke out of her train of thought and analyzed their situation. They were deeper in the forest now. The Digimon -that's what they must have been- were still behind them, but enough of a distance away that she could think of something to do with the kid. Tomoki wasn't big at all, but the extra weight was putting a strain on her lungs and heart, causing immense pain she was just able to endure. It was a miracle that she was even able to outrun their pursuers thus far, but then again she didn't believe in miracles, and it was most likely because of whatever power was within her.

She spotted a large, ancient tree with giant roots that formed shallow caves in the ground. Komoku dashed over to this tree and leapt down into one of the caves, bending her knees sharply as she landed. She began to waver, and Tomoki scrambled out of her arms just as she fell over.

"Komoku-san!" Tomoki cried, worry etched all over his face as he kneeled and shook Komoku's shoulders, who had rolled away from him, curling up in a ball and wrapping her arms around her chest as she trembled violently.

He felt so helpless. He couldn't evolve into Chakmon or Blizzarmon without his D-tector, and none of the other warriors were with him. He was powerless to defend himself or the girl he had come to trust, who had tried to protect him despite her dislike for people. He couldn't help himself, and though he squeezed his eyes shut, the tears still came coursing down his cheeks.

"Don't...cry," Komoku gasped.

Tomoki opened his watery eyes, to find that Komoku was sitting up, and her breaths were still shuddering but she seemed a little under control. Shakily, she got to her feet and turned towards where she had entered the small cave. She had her face turned up to the entrance as she laid her hand on Tomoki's dusty hair.

"Stay here," she said in a quiet but wavering voice, then she proceeded to jump and grab the edge of the opening with her hands, hauling herself up and out of the hole, leaving Tomoki alone, but safe.

_/Okay, so what if there are spots of colors dancing in front if my eyes and my chest feels like it's about to explode? There's something special about that kid, and I guess he's worth more to this... well, both worlds than I ever will be. In any case.../_

Komoku stood firm as the Snimon came into view, and got into a fighting stance.

_/I don't care if I'm destroyed. Maybe I was destined to die in this world so there would be no mess to clean up on Earth. I hope I still go to the same hell, so I can finally be with-/_

**_No. You have not outlived your usefulness._**

Komoku's eyes suddenly grew dull and her arms hung limp as did her head. The Snimon charged just as a strange, gray fog began to fill the forest. The mist crawled down in between the roots of the ancient tree, surrounding Tomoki and blinding all of his senses for a moment.

Skullmeramon and the other two Digimon arrived just in time to see Snimon charge and raise one of his scythe-like claws before the fog swallowed him up. After a few seconds, there was a shrill cry. Skullmeramon's lip-less mouth formed a cold smile, and he turned to leave, thinking the deed was done. However, Musyamon's gasp and DarkTyrannomon's growl caused him to turn back, and he was stunned at what he saw.

Slowly, the fog began to dissipate, and the first form that was seen and startled all was Snimon. He was stumbling backwards awkwardly on his four legs, for his wings had been forcefully removed and were tattered and useless. Snimon was shrieking in pain, though, because his twin sickles had also been ripped from his upper limbs, and in their place there poured a green, bodily fluid that served as his blood.

Surely that human girl had not done this! Skullmeramon did not care much for the Snimon, but he was concerned as to what had done this to it. He looked past Snimon at the only dense fog that remained, and he could discern a figure in the dark mist that was shapely and feminine, but not the girl.

Whoever it was, he could see the outlines of two scythes held in both of their hands, the sickles that used to serve as claws for Snimon. A flash of silver could be seen, emanating from the figure's eyes, before they leaped out of the fog with incredible speed and landed on Snimon. The insectoid Digimon screeched as it landed heavily on its back, the figure crouching on top of his thorax, and then was mangled with his own claws.

Skullmeramon, Musyamon, and DarkTyrannomon merely watched, stunned. The scythes were only blurs as they sliced into Snimon multiple times per second, green goo and pieces of the doomed Digimon flying into the air and splattering onto the assailant.

She was only satisfied when Snimon's death song was reduced to gurgles, and then silence. She stood with fluid grace, holding the scythes, still dripping with their former owner's fluids, down at her sides.

Though she was covered in various places with Snimon's green fluids, Skullmeramon was able to determine that this was a Digimon, but not one he recognized. The only color on this new Digimon, besides the splashes of green, was the deep, bronze skin that showed in many places. Everything else was black or some shade of silver. Black consisted of the little belts that held the shoulder- and breast-plates of armor in place, and the leather pieces of attire; one covering her neck, chin and cheeks, another half of her left arm- the rest of it from the elbow down was an almost mechanical looking claw- the short, finger-less glove on her right, clawed hand, clothing her back, sides and lower region, and the straps that connected that to the hosiery that covered everything but her upper thighs, and the knee-high, lace-less combat boots.

The silver armor on her shoulders and sides of both legs had large, scale-like plates that were pointed, almost as deadly looking as the large claw that was her left arm. Then there were the sterling bangles, two around each boot to hold the armor in place, two around her right arm, and one around her waist, and the steel tips of the boots.

Her hair, wildly spiking up then falling down around her face and neck, was platinum and fell a few inches above her shoulder. Most intriguing -and frightening- were the eyes that were visible in the lustrous helmet that covered barely half of her head, which were a pure white with tiny, ebony dots serving as pupils and the iris only discernible as a thin circular outline.

The feral Digimon grinned, white fangs flashing as she licked some of the green fluid from her lips, then spoke in a low, intense voice.

"You who would dare disturb this world... Fools. For your insolence, you shall be punished."

The Digimon snapped out of their trances, and Musyamon bristled, his warped sense of pride insulted. With a war cry, he raised his sword and charged at the Digimon.

Tomoki, having regained his senses, had been trying to climb out of the cave Komoku had left him in by grabbing onto small roots and rocks embedded in the hard soil. Hearing the death scream of something and nothing of Komoku, his concern for her gave him the strength to pull his small frame out of the crevice. He wisely stayed close to the entrance should he need to duck for cover, and the first thing his eyes fell on was the mangled remains of the Snimon. His stomach lurched at the site; he had never seen the dead body of a Digimon before.

Terrified, he immediately looked around for Komoku, but his attention was grabbed by a low, demonic voice, then the war cry of another. He peeked out from behind a root, and was transfixed and horrified by the fight that ensued.

Musyamon charged at the female Digimon. Her grin didn't waver, and she brought the Snimon's sickles up, holding them out in front of her chest. She flung one, and Musyamon easily deflected that with his sword. The other sickle came unexpectedly, and he couldn't parry for his sword was still at the end of its first swing, and the curve blade embedded itself deeply in his chest.

He howled in pain, crimson spewing from his wound and his mouth, and fell towards the ground. He didn't come into impact with it for the female Digimon had dashed from where she had been standing with a speed that wasn't visible to Tomoki's eyes and solidly kicked him in his neck. The force of the attack both snapped it and brought his body up again, and the mysterious Digimon back-flipped, kicking Musyamon and grabbing his sword in the same movement. Then she landed and, holding the sword with both hands, thrust forward into Musyamon's mouth, which was open wide in terror, more blood gushing out as it tore through his throat and eventually out through the back of his head.

She smiled again as Musyamon finally fell to the ground, his death occurring in only a few seconds. The Digimon had no time to gloat over her kill as DarkTyrannomon's roar broke through the air and the ground shook with his approach. Her head snapped up, and her mouth set into a firm, serious line as she twisted the blade in Musyamon's mouth with so much force that it tore the skin of his neck and when she yanked the sword up it took his head with it. The decapitated head left a thick streak of red as it made its way up and eventually off the sword, flying through the air and landing in a bloody heap beside Tomoki, who had to stifle a scream and shrunk back from it.

The DarkTyrannomon barged towards the female Digimon clumsily. As it neared, it lowered its head and attempted to clamp its massive jaws onto her much smaller body. The Demon nimbly jumped up and onto its head, and when she landed when raised Musyamon's sword high above her head and brought it down with enough power to pierce the thick skull of the Virus type Dinosaur. It bellowed in anger and pain, but the blow wasn't enough to kill it and it thrashed its head about, causing large drops of blood to dot the area. The Demon jumped backwards, executing a few quick mid-air somersaults before again raising the sword above her head and bringing it down forcefully to slice open the DarkTyrannomon's belly which sprayed blood like a fountain.

The Dinosaur's last roar was insanely loud, but ended in a high-pitched whine. It then fell forward, rivers of blood pouring from its mouth and stomach, which also deposited most of its internal organs. Its massive body shook the ground as it landed, and the Demon leapt on top of it to stand on its back as she avoided the fall.

She turned, and her silver glare met Skullmeramon's, who had stayed back and watched the slaughter. "How can you dare sit back and watch your brothers die?" she spat. The Fire Digimon did not reply, and she continued, "You still have a chance. Change your ways, and perhaps I will allow you to live."

"As you surely know," Skullmeramon replied in a voice that was mechanical and like the roaring flames of hell, "there will never be a place for me or my brothers."

"So it must come to this." The Demon tossed aside the sword and took on a fighting stance, feet shoulder-width apart and claws held in front of her and at the side of her face.

In this silence, where the air was thick with the stench of three dead Digimon, Tomoki took a moment to try to determine what was going on. Komoku was no where to be seen. Had she been killed by the Digimon? He shook his head, refusing to believe that, and tried to get a closer look at the female Digimon that had successfully but brutally defeated three of the Digimon. No, she had killed them, and that fact made a knot in his stomach. How could she do that, kill her own kind? How was she even able to accomplish that? Digimon, though they lived and breathed, were data, so how was it that there were three who lay dead before him?

He stared intently at the Demon as he pondered about this, but gasped when he noticed what was emblazoned on her helmet, shoulder-plates, and the small piece of armor above her breast-plate. Kanji. It wasn't a symbol he recognized, but it immediately told him that this Digimon was a warrior of some sort. But she couldn't be a Legendary Warrior, for there were only ten, each representing an element, and the fusion of those warriors that Takuya and Kouji created.

Also, the Legendary Warriors that resembled humans could only be manifested if they were to fuse with a human. Could this warrior be Komoku? Tomoki immediately rejected that thought; if Komoku were a warrior, she would have taken out her D-tector and evolved when she was fighting Neloangemon or when the other four Digimon appeared. So, who was this warrior? And where was Komoku?

Skullmeramon finally initiated an attack, launching several Metal Fireballs towards the Demon. She dashed, and using her amazing speed was in front of Skullmeramon in moments. She jumped up, bringing back her large left claw, and was about to strike, but the blue flames that constantly emanated from Skullmeramon flared up, causing her to halt her attack and instead twisted her body so that she ended up landing a short distance away at his side.

The Demon just had enough time to react when Skullmeramon launched his next attack.

"Flame Chain!"

The fiery chain around his right hand extended out towards the Demon, who rolled to the side and began to run in a circle around her opponent. Coming up with a plan, she began to gather energy within herself and came to a halt.

Skullmeramon sent another Flame Chain her way, this time from his left hand, and just before it hit her the Demon twisted to the right and caught the chain in her right hand, ignoring the scorching flames as it wrapped around her palm and lower arm. She brought her hand up, clenching the chains tightly as the energy she had gathered showed itself as a ring of white light that crackled with dark lightning around her left claw.

Sensing her intention, Skullmeramon gathered a ball of blue flame in his right hand. Then the two Digimon rushed at each other, each with their right hands pulled back and shouting their attacks.

"Metal Fireball!"

"Kenkonken!"

Both Digimon roared as they neared each other and Tomoki shielded his eyes from the bright flash that came from their impact. When the light faded, and he was able to see again, Skullmeramon and the Demon were on the opposite sides of where they charged, both standing still with their claw or fist still held in front of them.

The wind blew through the quiet, bloody arena, and Skullmeramon's question broke the calm. "Warrior, what is your name?"

The Demon smiled. "I am... Natakumon."

"Natakumon..." Skullmeramon groaned gruffly as a red line appeared halfway through his body, and his upper body slid along the lower until it fell off, his legs buckling and following. Natakumon's attack had sliced clear through him, and it took a second for gravity to work on his body and cause blood to pour from both parts of him.

Natakumon sighed and stood up straight, the flames on the chain around her hand dying as it fell from her grip. She closed her eyes and raised her head, sniffing the thick air around her and confirming the blood she had spilled to be organic. Another scent filled her nostrils, and she turned sharply towards Tomoki.

The young Legendary Warrior barely had time to gasp before Natakumon was in front of him, death clearly visible in her pale eyes. He tried to get away, but his knees failed him as he tried to stand, and he only ended up scrambling backwards.

"You do not belong, therefore..." Natakumon raised her left claw. "....You must be eradicated from this world."

That claw came rushing down as Tomoki closed his eyes and screamed.

(((())))

MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! 3V33L CLIFFIE!!

Whoo, that had to be longest (and most fun!) chapter I have ever written. I got excited when Let the Bodies Hit the Floor began to play on the radio while I was typing the fight with Skullmeramon. The gore will only get worse, boys and girls. And while I'm sure most of you loved it (who wouldn't?), I just know someone's gonna flame me saying that Digimon are digital and can't bleed and bla bla bla. All I'm saying is that if you didn't catch it in the chapter, there is a reason why these Digimon bled. You'll just have keep reading to see why! (Also, if you noticed that I didn't indent the paragraphs towards the end, that's 'cuz my computer wouldn't let me.)

And, uh, sorry that there was no Kouji or anything, but don't worry (much) about him and the others. You'll see what I mean in the next update, which won't be for a bit of a while depending on reviews 'cuz I need to work on my Kingdom Hearts and Beyblade fics.

But if you can't wait to see more of Komoku and/or Natakumon, be sure to keep checking the website I run with Alene at Sometime this week I'll be putting up artwork from this and my other D-mon fic. (I always feel so awkward describing outfits, but if anyone's confused about what Komoku wears on her arms, they're like the funky things Sasuke from Naruto wears.)

So until the next chapter, valete!


	5. Chapter 4: Demonically Humane

There's no excuse. None at all.

Now I'm back to this story, and I'll just have to see if I'm worthy of any attention now.

Disclaimer: Only Komoku, Natakumon, and NeloAngemon so far are mine.

* * *

Numb, Without a Soul

Chapter 4: Demonically Humane

The forest had only been allowed a few moments of silence once the clamor of battle had ceased; a silence that was soon broken by a child's scream.

Tomoki had closed his eyes against the sight of the claw that meant certain death, but opened them slowly when he felt no pain. His cry was still reverberating through the forest when he noticed those silver claws only a hair's breadth from his face.

Natakumon had no qualms about killing that boy and thus eliminating this anomaly of this world. Though she had aimed at a pot between his eyes, her claw was so large that it would have surely crushed the entire front of his face, ensuring his death. She was only a second from accomplishing this when a presence she had not felt before stopped her. There was a strong and somehow familiar force coming from the boy.

_It can't be…_

She withdrew her claw, but added to Tomoki's distress when she crouched down and leaned her face close to his. She closed her colorless eyes and deeply breathed in. It was cold and crisp, like winter air in her nostrils, but there was no denying the scent.

_This boy…_

Natakumon rose and took a small step backwards, enough to look at Tomoki. He still had his eyes shut and was shivering and whimpering in fear, but she was more focused on the vague figure that stood before him- a phantasm of a bear holding out his arms protectively in front of the boy.

_Somehow… this child and the Warrior of Ice are one…_

The Demon's head snapped to her right, sensing the approach of other Digimon. She glanced down at Tomoki, whose erratic breathing signaled that he was likely falling into shock. Her fierce, silver orbs narrowed, partially angry because she would not be able to finish what she had started. The other was due to her strength… no, that girl's strength fading. She would have to retreat… for the time being.

Natakumon vanished from her position before Tomoki, rematerializing on a tree limb a short distance away. Secluded by the shadows of the leaves, she watched as a small band of Apemon emerged from the brush. Most of the brightly colored Digimon recoiled from the gruesome sight of the mutilated remains of the quartet of Digimon who had the misfortune of being present when the Demon had awakened. Two wiser Apemon turned their attention to the small, human boy that sat quietly near this. Ignoring the disembodied head of the Musyamon, they started towards Tomoki…

Natakumon's eyes narrowed as she felt her time run out. She was quite frustrated at not knowing when she would be able to appear when it was necessary. It depended on how the girl held up… It would be simple to stay for as long as she wanted, but that would prove foolish in the long run. For now, she would allow the child to rest. She closer her eyes and bowed her head as bands of pale, bluish data surrounded her. When they departed, they left in their wake a teenage girl whose body tumbled from the limb.

* * *

**Kouji…**

_What…?_

**Kouji… awake…**

_No…_

He refused to wake up. Not to a world without his friends, without his brother. Not to a world soaked in the blood of his loved ones. No… he did not want to wake up only to be…alone…

**Rise again… Warrior… of Light!**

The haunting, melodic voice was quickly fading from his mind when midnight blue snapped open, in submission to the world of awareness. For a moment, he ignored his surroundings, oblivious to where he was. He only knew that he was here- but the others weren't.

Numbly, he raised his hands, finding them full and whole in front of his face. He touched his fingers to his cheeks, and felt warmth.

He was…alive.

How could fate be this cruel?

The light had taken him, just as darkness had taken his brother from before his very eyes, just as the other elements had taken his friends.

So why was it that he was on the plane of the living while the others weren't? Why was he still in the realm of light while the others were in places that burned, encased them in darkness, or ice, or…?

"Ah, I see you're awake."

Kouji's deep eyes darted to the new voice somewhere to his left as he sat up. He was met with the sight of what looked like a small, floating brown pig, but he knew better. It didn't take him long to recognize what this creature was.

"Tapirmon…"

The Digimon nodded, and Kouji wasn't sure if he was relieved or surprised.

"Are you well?" Tapirmon asked him, but when the bewildered teen didn't answer, he sighed. "I'm sure you have many questions you wish answered. When you are ready, please come out. Then, I will explain all I know.

Tapirmon floated out through the partially opened cloth flap that served as a door, and Kouji sat in bed for a few more moments as his mind tried to register just what was going on.

After all his wishing, he really was back in the Digital World.

Could that mean… Did that mean everyone else had been summoned back, too? They were alive and well?

His heart finally stopped pounding from the initial fright of being alone. With the drumming out of his ears, he was left in a shell of silence.

He analyzed his surroundings, not wanting to decide just what he was feeling yet. He was lying in a cot of a simple hut; covered by a thin blanket and clothed save for his jacket, sneakers, and bandanna.

He reached for the bandanna, but paused as he held it in his hands. His thoughts were resolved a moment later when he secured the deep blue scarf with orange slashes on his head. He wasn't going to give up on the others; they would never do that do him if he were missing. Somewhere in this world, Kouichi, Takuya, Junpei, Izumi, and Tomoki were undoubtedly searching for each other and him. He would find them and ensure their safety before even thinking about why they were back here in the first place.

But he would need some information first.

Without hesitation, he moved back the thin cover and placed his feet on the floor. After a few moments he emerged fully dressed from the hut. He narrowed his eyes against the sudden sunlight, but once his vision cleared the sight he was greeted with was certainly not what he needed.

Sure enough, he was in a village of the Digital World, but something was odd. The Digimon here seemed to live close to nature, as Kouji noticed that the other dwellings resembled the one he woke up in. It wasn't this that bothered him, though. Though there was a vast diversity among the Digimon, there was a tense but melancholy air that hung over the otherwise humble looking village. The Digimon went on with their routines, but at the same time they appeared fearful and ready for the worse to happen.

In addition, the glances towards him and the curious whispers didn't escape the notice of the teen. As a human, Kouji could only expect such a reaction. Did they know he was also the legendary Warrior of Light? In any case, the Digimon posed no threat, so Kouji sought out Tapirmon, finding the floating Digimon upon a hill that over-looked the village.

"I assume you have noticed that much has changed," Tapirmon began when Koji approached him.

The lone wolf stood beside Tapirmon, his dark eyes on the village. "Do you know…?"

"That you are indeed the legendary Kouji, Warrior of Light? Yes… the names of you and your fellow warriors and comrades are renowned throughout the Digital World. …That is, they used to be.

Kouji sighed; his heart suddenly feeling heavy with the foreboding tone Tapirmon's voice took on. He sat down on this grass and asked, "How long has it been? What has happened?"

"It has been… hundreds of years since the tyrant Lucemon was defeated by the combined forces of the ten Legendary Warriors."

Kouji closed his eyes, not too overwhelmed by this fact. After finding Kouichi in Shibuya once the spirits of the Digimon warriors sent them back to Earth, he and the rest of the children had discovered that only a few minutes had passed.

"The humans who had become one with the Legendary Warriors were revered throughout the land. However, once the years began to pass in peace, these names became mentioned only in myths, and soon even these myths began to fade in the minds of all.

"But most recently, my fellow Digimon have lost faith in miracles such as those accomplished by you. They took the tranquility of our world for granted, as something they would always have. Then conflict began amongst my kind again, but it wasn't spared by prejudice accusations such as those made by Lucemon. Not quite."

"What do you mean?" Kouji turned his gaze towards the wise Digimon. "What's caused these tensions? Will there be another war?"

"No, but perhaps soon there will be. You see, I don't quite understand myself what is going on. Vast numbers of Digimon have been disappearing, but once they resurface, if they do… Something is strange about them. Different. No specific type is targeted; we are all at risk. It used to go unnoticed, but recently some Digimon seem corrupted. The truly odd thing is-"

Tapirmon was cut off by screams of pain from the village. Both Digimon and human looked down to see a colorful band of Apemon returning from some place. Once Kouji realized that the usually aggressive Digimon weren't attacking, he became more alarmed and jumped to his feet. With Tapirmon, he hurried back to the village.

Upon arrival, a crowd had formed around four of the Apemon. Kouji forced his way through, and was astonished at what he saw. Two Apemon were struggling to hold down one of their own while another attempted to set the restrained Digimon's arm; it had been snapped at the elbow.

Upon further notice, he saw that other Apemon has sustained injuries as well; they were ushered into huts, leaving trails of blood in their wake.

"Who did this!" Kouji demanded, and wished he had choked on his words. He realized that the entire horde of Digimon were regarding him with contempt blazing in their eyes. The answer to the question that had sparked in his eyes was answered by the brief, gurgling scream that erupted a nearby hut.

The scream of a human.

Kouji's heart leapt to his throat as he dashed towards the source of that terrible cry. He dreaded what he would find as he reasoned why the Digimon that had just been wary of him before now held such disdain for him.

The Apemon had been attacked by a human. But which of his friends had done this, and why?

Another small group of Apemon occupied the hit where it seemed they were trying to contain whoever had cried out. As soon as he entered, a powerful arm held him back.

"Let me pass!" Kouji ignored the fact the Apemon that prevented him from advancing was clearly older than the rest. He only wanted to reach whoever it was that sounded like they were in severe pain. If it truly was one of his comrades, he wouldn't think twice about breaking this Digimon's arm to get to them.

"You cannot," came the gruff, gravely voice of the elder Apemon.

He attempted to push Kouji back outside, but the teen would have none of it. Had he the devices, he would have become Wolfmon and cut clean through the powerful ape before him. Unfortunately, he could only hope that these Digimon would respond to him as he wished. His teeth gritted together with barely contained anger, and his hands balled into fists so tight that his fingernails drew blood from his palms.

"LET ME PASS!"

The room stilled, so that only the heavy breathing of whoever was being restrained was heard. Their haggard breaths didn't matter to any matter to any of the other inhabitants save Kouji.

Unbeknownst to him, however, for an instant, as his anger flared, the Apemon saw and heard not the smaller, enraged teenage boy, but the booming voice and imposing, tall stature of the legendary Wolfmon.

Kouji could have cared less as the Apemon finally parted for him. He rushed to the one they had kept from him.

Again, the sight he was greeted with was not had he wished to see.

It was not one of the five people he had expected. Some other person – a boy about his age, he surmised – had been tied down forcefully to a cot. The straps that bound the youth to the strong, wooden posts had drawn blood from the bare arms. Specks of that crimson fluid flecked the cheeks, and even more of it had soaked into small puddles on the mattress. Maroon hair was darkened to that sanguine color by sweat.

What caused a shiver to pass down Kouji's spine were those eyes; they were silver or colorless, blank of light, pupils, or any emotion.

Kouji shook himself out of his stupor, his mind registering what was odd about this situation. This person, while having the lean body of perhaps an athlete, was smaller than himself. What threat could they possibly hold to physically powerful Digimon such as Apemon?

Next, he became aware of how the chest heaved with strained breaths. Kouji carefully sat on the edge of the cot and reached down to undo the restricting buttons of the Chinese-styled shirt. He paused briefly as he did so when his fingers brushed against the soft cleavage that lay underneath.

…_A girl?_

Not to be daunted, he finished unbuttoning her shirt, glad that she wore a white tank top underneath her main attire. The girl's breathing already was becoming steadier, but a thin trickle of blood crept out the corner of her lips.

Boldly but with caution, Kouji lifted her shirt to check for any signs of internal injury. He found no bruises or anything else to suggest any injuries as his fingers lightly skimmed over her ribs; quite the contrary, her body was quite toned for a girl her age, and was soft but firm under his touch.

After pulling her shirt back down, he retrieved a nearby clean rag and wiped away the tiny stream of blood, then leaned closer to the girl's face.

"Hey…" He gently turned her head so he could look directly into her vacant eyes. Though his voice was quiet, it still held an assertive tone. "Look at me. Can you see me? Can you hear my voice?"

She gave no indication that she was aware of him, but her breathing became less and less ragged until it sounded normal. Then a faint glimmer of light came back into her eyes, as well as her pupils. Color bled back into the orbs until they were turquoise – a turquoise that would have glinted sharply has the dusky veil of unconsciousness not overcome them. Her eyelashes drooped as her head lolled to one side limply in Kouji's hands.

He lay her head back down and shut her eyelids completely as he willed his heart to return to its normal tempo. When the color returned to her eyes and she lost that half-crazed look, Kouji had recognized her features.

After adjusting the straps so that they wouldn't be so tight on her wrists, he stood and turned to the doorway. The older Apemon had stood there, watching and waiting.

"You will want to see the other one, too."

* * *

"Tomoki…"

As soon as Kouji laid a hand on the boy's cheek, his olive eyes snapped open, immediately full of fright.

He screamed, "No! Don't!" Kouji's reflexes failed him for once, and he was unable to avoid the sudden punch he received to the jaw when Tomoki began to flail. The older boy at once regained his senses and grabbed both of Tomoki's wrists.

"Calm down, Tommy! It's me, Kouji!"

Tomoki immediately stilled. "Kouji?" His eyes focused, instantly recognizing the eyes of midnight, the stern and proud face, and the ever-present bandanna. "Oh, god, Kouji!" His eyes began to fill with tears as his smaller body began to shake. "Where's Takuya?" Tomoki's eyes began to dart around. "And your brother? And Izumi, and-"

"They're here, but I don't know where… Tommy!" Kouji shouted, forcing the younger boy to look at him. "Calm down," he said slowly, and Tomoki stopped trembling. He seemed to regain his wits, and even began to answer the question he knew Kouji would ask, though tears ran steadily down his cheeks.

"I-it was horrible…" Tomoki swallowed, trying to steady his voice. "This… this dark angel Digimon found me when I came to, but…he… Then she saved me…"

"Who? Was it Izumi?"

"No, no…" Tomoki gasped and began to look frantic. "Komoku-san! What happened to Komoku-san?"

"Hey!" Kouji gave Tomoki's wrists a brief squeeze, and frowned fiercely. "We'll get to that in a minute…" _So, it really was her._ "But first, finish telling me happened."

Tomoki nodded, regaining his composure. "Komoku-san saved me from that Digimon… he was called NeloAngemon. She fought him, but I think it wore her out. Soon we were attacked by four other Digimon, and Komoku left me to fight them on her own. Then… I don't what happened to her! This mist came out of nowhere, and the next thing I saw was… Kouji, she killed them! All of them!"

Kouji, trying to piece together the erratic boy's story, was puzzled. "Komoku killed them?"

"No, it was Natakumon! I know Digimon can't die, but she _did_ kill them! There was so much blood…!" Finally breaking down, Tomoki buried his head in Kouji's chest and began to sob loudly.

Were the situation not so horrible, Kouji would have teased him for acting like a crybaby at his age. But it was clear that Tomoki was terrified, and he wrapped his arms around the boy as he tried to figure out what the hell happened to him.

Tomoki had awakened in the Digital World in much the same way as himself. This NeloAngemon was apparently an enemy, but the mention of Komoku rang even more bells. With Tomoki sharing her name, he was now positive he was right in guessing who she was when he had recognized her.

But even someone like Komoku shouldn't be able to take on a Digimon such as NeloAngemon as a human. Sure, it was possible to best weak Digimon, as he had done so on several occasions with only a metal or wooden rod, but Angel-type Digimon were far more powerful. Since the one Tomoki mentioned was obviously a Virus, Komoku should not have survived if she had engaged him in combat.

That led to a more disturbing thing the young Warrior of Ice had told him; Digimon being killed. He would have felt remorseful for what he and his friends had done to countless Digimon in their adventure two years ago, but they knew there were purifying the Digimon from the corruption of Cherubimon and Lucemon. Their data was merely being reconfigured, and they would eventually be reborn. But according to Tomoki, apparently this new Digimon, Natakumon, had slaughtered some in a way that Tomoki had never seen before. Why else would he be so horrified now after all they had been through?

Eventually, Tomoki quieted, and pulled away from Kouji.

"Komoku-san's dead too, isn't she?" he asked in a whisper, his voice hoarse from crying. Kouji didn't answer immediately, looking down at the boy silently. Tomoki raised his own eyes to Kouji's, the usually bright and cheery olive now dim and sorrowful. "She was strong, but there was something wrong with her; I think she's sick. And Natakumon's one of the most powerful Digimon I've ever seen. There's no way Komoku-san could have stood up to her, is there?"

"Tommy, Komoku's alive. But," Kouji added at seeing Tomoki's eyes light up, "you can't see her right now. She's resting, and so should you."

"Okay." Kouji removed his hands from Tomoki's shoulders and stood up, but the younger boy prevented him from going anywhere by grasping the hem of his jacket. Kouji looked back to Tomoki's pleading eyes and smiled.

"I'm not leaving you, alright? Just get some sleep, and then we'll figure out what we should do together."

Tomoki returned the smile and released his jacket. Kouji grinned as he indicated the minor bruise on his cheek. "You're doing okay, Tomoki. See? You even got me. You've become stronger, so no worries. Just chill out for a while, okay?"

Tomoki nodded and lay down. "Everything will be alright?"

"Of course; once we find the rest of the gang, well, you know nothing can stop us. We'll get to the bottom of this."

* * *

"This morning a small group of Digimon passed through here. However, we soon discovered they weren't normal Digimon, so for the safety of our village we sent them on their way. A while later a group of Apemon went foraging for supplies, but they came upon that band… They had all been slaughtered, and the sword of the Knightmon that was among them was missing. The sword was found later, along with dried patches of blood that suggested another battle.

"The Apemon from there could faintly hear the sounds of another battle, but by the time they got there the Digimon there, too, had all been killed. They found the boy, the one you call Tomoki, nearby in a state of shock, and soon after they found the girl."

"Why weren't they together?"

"It was guessed that Komoku had been hiding, for when they found her she fallen unconscious. But while the two were being carried back, Komoku woke up in a frenzied state and began to assault the Apemon, as you could see from the few who were injured. It took three to restrain her."

"And she was human the whole time?"

"Yes."

Kouji and Tapirmon fell silent, both trying to make sense of this bizarre event. Kouji briefly wondered if Komoku's apparent super strength had anything to do with why her eyes changed colors.

_But she can't be harboring a spirit… None of the warriors are that violent. Then again, Tomoki apparently only saw her fight that NeloAngemon, so there's no telling what could have happened when she fought those other four he mentioned. Damn it… _Kouji frowned and bit the nail of his thumb. _I don't get it… this doesn't explain who or what slaughtered those other Digimon…_

Both Kouji and Tapirmon were brought out of their musings when the elder Apemon entered the small hut they occupied. At his grim expression, Kouji was filled with concern and a bit of dread.

"What is it?" he inquired quietly.

"…The rest of the village has come to a conclusion. The human girl called Komoku has been declared a threat, and therefore must be eliminated."

"What?" Kouji shot to his feet, his hand clenched into fists. "You can't do that, I won't let you! Komoku isn't doing this of her own will! Since when do Digimon decide to kill a human so easily?"

"Don't criticize me, boy." Apemon challenged Kouji's glare with his own. "Your kind had no qualms about killing my people in the past, and it's only a matter of time before she kills a normal Digimon."

"That was different!" Kouji threw out his hand, outraged at this turn of events. "We didn't kill because we wanted to! But if we hadn't, then-"

"Elder!" A younger Apemon burst into the hut, out of breath and panicked. "The girl has escaped!"

* * *

As she struggled to return from the void of sleep, laughter mocked her efforts, making them all the more desperate.

Especially since the laughter… reminded her of her own…

Komoku woke up in a sweat, her eyes wide and her breaths heavy. A few moments later she calmed herself, though her heart continued to beat loudly for a while. Her eyes narrowed as she swore quietly. She when did _she_ wake up in such a manner? She hadn't been so bothered since…since…

Growling, she would have wiped the sweat off her forehead if was able to move her hands. Silently she looked up at the leather straps that bound her wrists, then down at her unbuttoned shirt and bound ankles.

_Oh, great… I've been molested by some bondage freak…_

Giving a silent, annoyed sigh, she tried to get a bearing on her surroundings from her limited view. Apparently she was in a hut, and as she looked to the flimsy flap that served as a door, she could the silhouettes of two…giant…monkeys?

_What. The. Hell. I've been taken prisoner by giant _bondage_ monkeys? Well, screw that._

Directing her eyes above her, Komoku quietly tried to calm her mind, then tensed her arms as she strained to break her straps, as she couldn't slip her hands through them. Granted she hadn't trained in a long while, the straps should give way in a matter of minutes. Supposing she could still support her own body weight, and considering she had had to train with weights, flimsy leather straps should be no problem.

_Besides, if I can apparently wield giant swords in this place, then maybe…_

She grit her teeth as the leather bit into her sore and raw wrists, but after only a few seconds, the leather stretched and tore loose. Komoku sat up, rotating her aching shoulders in their sockets before examining her arms. She wasn't too surprised at the sight of her own dried blood, and proceeded to remove the rest of the leather and carefully rub her wrists. She bent towards her feet and removed the bonds from her ankles, afterwards swinging her legs over the bed to set her feet on the ground.

She found her short boots nearby and tied them on gingerly but securely despite her sore ankles, and looked to the doorway for signs of those 'giant bondage monkeys'. They seemed to be distracted with talking to something or someone outside, and Komoku began to think of her captors as maybe more of those Digimon that kid had told her about.

_Wait a sec…_

Pausing briefly even though she was supposed to be moving quickly, Komoku briefly wondered just _how_ she got here.

_Okay, short recap… I woke up in this strange place, went to that stream for drink before that group of I guess Digimon found me… Then I blacked out again, and when I came to I was holding a sword and – what was his name? - Tomoki was there. He told me what had happened, and that… that _thing_ in my head told me they were more Digimon approaching. What then…_

_I ran, duh. Those things were actually after us… huh. I hid Tomoki under a tree, and… stood up to those monsters. Reeeeeal smart, Komoku. I blacked out _again_, and ended up here._

…_Say, why is that voice being all quiet now?_

"Che."

_Whatever._

Spotting a small table nearby with her sleeves and a rag on it, Komoku wiped the dried blood off her arms and put back on her accessories. As she did so, however, she noticed that her wrists were nearly healed already.

_The hell?_

She flexed her hands, then stood up, ready to ditch this hellhole. But she swayed unsteadily and fell against the table before she could gain her footing, causing the table to thump loudly enough against the wall to alert the guards.

_Shit!_

**You fool!**

Acting on impulses that were hardly her own, Komoku sprinted across the floor to the doorway in two strides, somehow gaining enough force to spring up and deliver a roundhouse kick to the side of the head of the first giant ape to duck into the hut. It was sent flying to the side, and when Komoku hit the ground she braced her feet and her left palm against a fist to send her right elbow into the gut of the second ape. That one fell to its knees and hunched over, the wind knocked out of it, but Komoku paid it no heed as she stood with her hand balled into fists, her arms quivering and her eyes squeezed shut.

**How could you alert them like that?**

"Shut up!" Komoku spat.

A shrill scream from behind told her that her little act had not gone unnoticed, and Komoku dashed across the room again, jumping on the cot and crossing her arms in front of her face as she sprung off of it and crashed though the flimsy woody frame of the small window. She rolled as she hit the ground, ignoring the minor cuts and splinters in her arms and starting off at a dead sprint.

Several monsters screamed and effectively got out of her way, but they were all noisy blurs as she ran past them, hell-bent on getting out of wherever she was.

But there was one thing that caught her sharp eyes- a blue shape that had stood out from the rest.

Time seemed to slow as she whirled by him, the boy whose deep midnight eyes locked with her icy turquoise.

Komoku didn't stop. Time returned, and leaving Tomoki – wherever he was – to fend for himself, Komoku tore out of the village, plunging back into the foreign forest from which she had emerged in this world, confused yet full of rage.

* * *

"Kouji!"

The Warrior of Light came to his senses, having come to a halt when Komoku had passed him- he had frozen where he was when that determined glare had met his own bewildered gaze.

Those eyes… did they flash silver for a second?

Kouji shook his head and turned to Tomoki, who had ran up to him. "What's going on? Was that Komoku?"

"Yeah." Kouji looked out to where Komoku had disappeared into the distance at a remarkable, unnatural speed.

_So this is where it begins…_

His eyes had closed briefly, and when Kouji opened them he looked down at Tomoki. The younger warrior no longer held the look of a frightened child; he looked resolved, determined and ready to fight by his side. They nodded silently to each other.

"Young warriors…"

Both boys turned to Tapirmon and the elder Apemon who stood behind them, as well as the others of the startled Digimon village. Kouji stepped up to them.

"Dark times are ahead for all of us… But I know that you will succeed in the end." Tapirmon smiled solemnly. "My thoughts and prayers will be with you."

"But be forewarned," the elder Apemon added, "We will not simply sit by and let this tyranny run rampant in our world. The Digimon will not hesitate to protect ourselves from this threat, no matter who or what they might be."

"You have my word… that we will put an end to all this. Ready, Tommy?"

"Yeah!"

Without a look back, the Warriors of Light and Ice turned and headed out of the village, after Komoku and towards wherever their friends were and their new adventure lied.

_Once more, we find ourselves in a world that's not our own, yet at the same time is our second home. Maybe we don't know why we're here, but it's apparent that destiny has called on us again._

_Tomoki._

_Takuya._

_Junpei._

_Izumi._

_Kouichi._

…_Komoku._

_We _will _find out why we're all here, and bring order again to this chaotic world. Let's take our fates in our hands and gain control over it._

_Whatever stands before me, I'll cut through with a blade of light!_

Even though the rest of the Digimon with him held doubt and even contempt for the newly returned warriors and their quest, Tapirmon alone held hope in his heart for the Digital World. He could it… a bright outcome…

Just as clearly as the hopeful sun's rays revealed the faint visages of the digital warriors who were with the boys that had just departed.

* * *

Okay, okay. You can hate me all you want, but if it can finally snow down here, then I figured I could boot up something in Word and finish at least one thing I had started. And as it so happens, it was this story that I had left hanging more than two years ago. I still have too many plans to leave it like this, so hopefully it won't be another two years before I update again. The only excuse, I suppose, is that I'm growing up, and have colleges and such to focus on.

At any rate, the next two chapters will feature both pairs of the still missing cast, and maybe we'll get some much needed info on just who Komoku is.

If you still care about this story, please read and review!


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